Promotional Biographical Statements

There's no one in the world quite like you. But how can you let the world know that - without sounding completely arrogant? As an intuitive coach as well as a writer and editor, I work with you to get a sense of what it is that makes you who you are. Then, I find the words to express the essence of you in ways that help readers rapidly grasp the value-added difference that only you can offer.

The client, an actress and vocalist, was seeking to launch herself as a jazz and cabaret singer and referredme to the web sites of highly successful female vocalists as a model for what she needed for her site.

Based on what she told me about her background, and the further research I did online, I wrote the revised bio, which can be used in abbreviated form for promotional purposes. The bio accurately positions the client as an inheritor of a great lineage in L.A. jazz history. She was unaware – till she read what I wrote – of just how distinguished her lineage really is and how closely related she is to some of the most famous names in L.A. jazz.

Revised Bio

​Elizabeth ‘Lomax’ GoldsteinLiving the Legacy of L.A.’s 1st Family of Jazz

“An angel of song. She reaches into her soul and pulls out pure joy and truth. She reaches for your heart like an eager lover. The energy of Liz’s voices break boundaries and lifts spirits.” Spoken by the producers of Put Obama in the White House.

When you are the grandniece of the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young, you’re genetically predisposed to be a superlative maker of music yourself. And when you grow up to become “an angel of song,” people can’t help but take notice – even without knowing any of the backstory. But it wasn’t a direct flight on the wings of her illustrious, musical family that brought ‘Lomax’ to the limelight.

Liz grew up certain that it was her much older sister who was the family’s virtuoso vocal artist. Unaware of her own musical gifts – but still wanting to perform – Liz studied acting and became the stunt double for Hollywood’s A-List of coco-skinned actresses. She also landed recurring roles on hit TV shows such as Star Trek and Grey’s Anatomy. But still the music in her heart kept calling to her.

So Lomax performed in numerous musicals as well as plays. The Los Angeles Times found her “transformative and magical” in her role in Bruce Bonafede’s Advice to the Players. She delighted audiences as Betsy in the musical comedy, Dates from Hell, written by Karen Ann Knotts. And in Smokey Robinson’s Sang Sista Sang, she brought Josephine Baker back to life with a palpable authenticity. The producers of Frank Mohr’s comedy, Big Baby, said that Liz, “single handedly lights up the stage and runs away with the show.” Now, fans around the world are enjoying her singing and acting as Lisa Boitano Tutu in the wildly popular web series, Bloomers.

But where does ‘Lomax’ get all that energy and radiance – to “single handedly light up the stage?” That’s a really interesting question with several enlightening answers to it. The first, of course, is her extraordinary heredity.

Family Roots & Ties

Liz’s mother, Lucille Tolbert, was raised with her two brothers in the household of their grandfather, the legendary bandleader Willis H. Young – who could play and teach every instrument and genre, and compose music while carrying on a conversation. The rule in the large extended Young family household in downtown L.A. was that everyone must earn a place at the dinner table – by mastering at least one instrument and bringing in money as a performer.Since the family lived next door to the black musician’s union, and enjoyed the presence of L.A.’s jazz greats in their home all the time, Papa Young’s demand on his progeny wasn’t as impossible to accomplish as it sounds. Thus, the family thrived together even through the Great Depression.When Lucille returned to New Orleans at the age of 18, fate took her in an unlikely direction. The power of her beauty and personality caught the eye of Allen Page, the president of the Negro Southern Baseball League. Thus, he trained her to become the first female coach for the all-male league – thereby eliminating problems with absenteeism. Years later, when Lucille returned to L.A., she shared her love of music, sports and education with students in the Los Angeles Unified School District – as well as with her two daughters.Liz’s uncle, James Tolbert, also made history outside the music profession. He started the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP, became an attorney for top black performers, and exerted the necessary pressure to insure that television tech crews were integrated – starting with the Hazel show. Uncle James also represented the Tuskegee Airmen in their successful class action suit against the government.Perhaps breaking precedents and setting trends is another inheritable trait. The Young family’s most famous member – jazz saxophonist Lester Young – certainly did exactly that and he paid a price for going against the tide. Taught by Papa Young to play trumpet, violin, drums, saxophone and clarinet, Lester is now looked upon by some jazz historians as more influential than even Charlie ‘Bird’ Parker – whom he inspired.Promoting Peace thru SongSo, that’s a quick overview of Liz’s fortunate genetic endowment. But being from a super-talented family doesn’t generate enough electricity to ‘light up a stage and steal a show.’ Something more potent than that is required, which brings us to the other, deeper source of the eye-popping glow that ‘Lomax’ radiates everywhere she goes.Liz – like award-winning jazz legend Herbie Hancock – is a long-time practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism. When she sings, it’s with the clear intention of lighting up her audience. “What really turns me on,” she says, “is people being liberated at the core of their lives. ... The purpose of my music is to unleash their own brilliance.”With a vocal versatility that spans the spectrum from Jazz to Pop, from Blues to Rock, Liz is a great believer in the importance of tapping and actualizing one’s unlimited potential. Only if people have elevated their life condition, and are actively sharing their beauty with the world, can there be both inner and outer peace, she believes.“By believing in the possibility of a world at peace, your heart gets richer,” Lomax explains. “And if you’re crazy enough to believe it can actually happen, you start attracting people and experiences that support that belief system. It’s when I give in to doubt that the magic starts to go away.”Since 2006, Liz Lomax Goldstein has written, performed and collaborated with outstanding artists and “with deep gratitude for the power that music has to bring people together worldwide.”As for the name ‘Lomax’ – that’s a name that was important to her father because it was his own father’s last name. He had to give that name up when his mother left his dad and married another man – whose last name was literally Bland. Now it's a name that Liz wears with pride and pleasure – in honor of the other side of her truly remarkable heritage. However, once you see her, hear her, watch her and speak with her, you’ll probably agree that more descriptive name for Elizabeth would be Flo-Max or Glo-Max!“…the fabulous voice of Liz Goldstein, singing her own original songs for world peace, will be heard and enjoyed by future generations of listeners worldwide well into the 21st century and beyond.” Conductor, Multi-reedist, Bernie Maupin

Sample #2: Creative Challenge: This client has an extensive, highly diverse background and C.V. as a psycho-therapist, attorney, educator and real estate broker. Since she would be moving to another state, she hired me to find a way to unify all these divergent professions into a Promotional Bio that could help her attract a wide range of clients for the many services she offers. I reviewed her resume, had an extensive conversation with her, and then wrote the following Statement for her.​

It takes a team of trusted experts to help us navigate the twists-and-turns of life – the uphill battles, the downhill slides, the great, good fortune and the sudden intrusion of the wholly unexpected. How much easier would it be if we could find all that expertise in one trusted, highly knowledgeable and deeply compassionate specialist – someone who is a practiced expert in marriage and family counseling; family law, investment law, and estate planning; and in the buying and selling of real estate?

This may sound too good – and too improbable – to be true. But Wendy Wiles Kase is a master practitioner in all three disciplines with years of experience as an attorney, a therapist and a Realtor. (She has also served as a trainer for attorneys as well as for people applying for their California Real Estate license).

Wendy has successfully facilitated communications between marriage partners, parents and children, and divorcing couples; attorneys and their clients; home sellers, buyers and real estate brokers. A world traveler with a huge hunger for knowledge, appetite for life, and passion for being of service to others – Wendy has experience and comfort in a variety of cultures. Thus, she is able to offer her caring expertise to individuals and families from widely divergent backgrounds.

So, how did this extraordinary woman become so knowledgeable and diverse in her careers? It all began early in life – with summer vacations spent with her family in the jungles of old Puerto Vallarta. Then, came the Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Psychology – which took her to India and Mexico for field study. Next, came the law degree and a 10-year practice as counsel to three investment advisors and over 38 mutual funds. All this required her in-depth knowledge of NASD, the SEC, and other broker-dealer issues.

In the 1980s, while practicing law, Wendy explored the newly emerging human-potential movement, studying the Silva Method, meditation, and the highly regarded Sedona Method. She also became a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming as well as a certified Divorce Mediator.

In 1998, Wendy received her Masters of Science degree in Marital and Family Therapy from the Family Institute at Northwestern University. In 1999, she received her certification as a Stepfamily Counselor from the Stepfamily Foundation in New York, New York.

Wendy gained additional expertise in premarital and marital counseling – and in couples intervention skills – under the tutelage of the best-selling author and expert Professor Howard Markman, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver. She studied, as well, with John Gottman and became a teacher of his Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. In 2015, Wendy received her Level 1 Certification in the Gottman Technique.

In addition to speaking to groups and teaching classes in a variety of subjects related to interpersonal skills, family relationships, real estate, and the law, Wendy works with individual clients to help them –

Improve their communications;

Up-level their relationships;

Baby-proof their marriage;

Purchase the right home;

Resolve financial issues;

Navigate divorce – both legally and emotionally;

Ease custody conflicts;

Enjoy positive stepfamily relationships;

Heighten self-esteem, and –

Find new directions in life.

So, if you are seeking a counselor/advocate/coach – who can cut through kNOTS, embrace you with compassion, and kick-ass – give Wendy a call to find out how she can help you solve your dilemmas, achieve your goals and triumph over life’s adversities. As her clients frequently tell her, “I could never have done it without you.”